Ian Ayre Offered To Resign, Board Rejects

Following the resignation of Liverpool managing director Christian Purslow, the Daily Telegraph can disclose that club commercial director Ian Ayre has been dissuaded from leaving the club by their new American owners New England Sports Ventures (NESV). Ayre is understood to have been uncertain of his position at the club following the takeover and tendered a letter of resignation to the club 's owners on Tuesday. His offer was rejected by owner John W Henry and his advisers however, and Ayre was reassured that he has a future at the club. The commercial director is considered one of the unqualified successes of the Hicks and Gillett regime, improving the club 's revenues and his contacts in Asia, where he worked for several years, are valued. Ayre's position at the club could also have been undermined by his links to Peter Lim, the Singapore investor whose bid for Liverpool was rejected. Ayre brought Lim to the table but it has not affected his position with NESV. Meanwhile lawyers for Royal Bank of Scotland and the club's former owners Hicks and Gillett will return to the High Court on Thursday for a further hearing in front of Mr Justice Floyd. It was described last night as a purely procedural hearing to tidy up the loose ends of the injunctions served in favour of RBS last week, but Hicks and Gillett may seek to use the opportunity to institute proceedings for damages. They have said they will seek more than £1bn in compensation. Ayre is on holiday and unavailable for comment. A club spokesman said that he had not resigned but that they had no knowledge of his resignation letter.